Utagawa Hiroshige

Utagawa Hiroshige was a Japanese artist and one of the last great masters of the woodblock print. Born in Edo, now Tokyo, in 1797, he became famous above all for his landscape series, especially views of the famous highway between Edo and Kyoto and scenes of his home city in every season and weather. His prints capture rain, snow, mist, and moonlight with a gentle, poetic touch.

His compositions, with their bold close-ups and wide, atmospheric distances, later amazed European artists and directly influenced Van Gogh and other Impressionists. He brought a quiet, human warmth to the landscape, often showing tiny travelers making their way through the weather. Hiroshige's serene, beautiful views remain among the most beloved images in all of Japanese art.